Thursday, November 6, 2014

Indie Movie Preview: November 2014

It may be because awards season is starting to peek out from
around the corner, but the movies are kicking it into high gear this month. For
the first time in awhile, I’ve gone through the roster of upcoming releases and
not only been amazed at the sheer number of them, but have found something
genuinely compelling about each one and have wanted to include everything here.

But since that would defeat the purpose of making this a
curated list,I’m picking the handful
that stood out most (note that while I am bouncing off the walls in
anticipation for The Hunger Games:
Mockingjay Part I, releasing November 21, it will not be a part of this
roundup in the interest of keeping things slightly off the commercial path. It’s
clearly doing well enough for itself in the promotions department anyway). It’s
going to be a good November at the theaters.

Elsa & Fred

Release Date: November
7

Director: Michael
Radford

Starring: Christopher
Plummer, Shirley MacLaine, Marcia Gay Harden

What’s the story? The
remake of a 2005 Argentinian film. Fred is a soft-spoken widower who has lost
direction after the death of his wife. But when he meets the spunky Elsa, a
hopeless romantic who dreams of her own Fellini-esque love story of La Dolce Vita proportions, they both
learn that life—even in its twilight years—can be full of surprises.

My take: I highly
doubt this film is going to come with some profound message we haven’t heard
before. But who said every movie has to be a cerebral mind-twister to be
considered good?And it’s Captain Von
Trapp, you guys! Aside from the fact that no film he does will make me think of
him as anyone other than the pitch-perfect patriarch, I have faith that he and
Maclaine can at least take it back to old fashioned romance here, rather than
the melodramatic teenage stuff we’ve been subject to of late.* I’m pegging it
as this month’s feel-good factor.

Rosewater

Release Date: November
14

Director: Jon
Stewart

Starring: Gael
Garcia Bernal, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Claire Foy

What’s the story? Television
host, modern muckraker, and all-around funnyman Jon Stewart turns
writer/director with his debut feature, an adaptation of Iranian journalist
Maziar Bahari’s book retelling his own arrest, interrogation, and 118-day
imprisonment while covering the nation’s 2009 presidential elections.

My take: Stewart’s
passion for both comedy and politics collide in this at-times lighthearted,
at-times intense portrait of one man’s solitary confinement—and according to
feedback, his unique blend of satirical reporting is both the film’s strength
and it’s flaw.Whileaudience and critic responses have been inconsistent, Rosewater nonetheless seems like an
earnest endeavor to celebrate the spirit of honest journalism, and to highlight
the volatile energy of Iran’s changing social landscape. Plus, I never have to
be arm-twisted into seeing anything Stewart or
Bernal do. Team them up, and they’re sure to be worth a watch.

Foxcatcher

Release Date: November
14

Director: Bennet
Miller

Starring: Steve
Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo

What’s the story? Thebiography of Olympic wrestler Mark
Schultz, whose desire to break out from under his older brother’s athletic
shadow leads him to pursue training under multi-millionaire coach John Du Pont,
with harrowing and irreversible consequences.

My take: I know, I know. A film that includes three
A-listers can hardly be considered “off the beaten path.” But the buzz around
this movie has been deafening for months, and it would be plain foolish to
brush of a film that nabbed Miller the Best Director award at Cannes and was a nominee for the zenithal Palme
d’Or honor simply because of its blingy starcast. Stories based on real-life
sports figures are seldom unwatchable, the best of them tapping into to the
corners of our psyche where competitiveness and morality converge. I’m not just
intrigued to witness Steve Carell’s embodying of a downright disturbing
character, but also legitimately excited to see how Tatum takes on the part of
a young sportsman careening down a spiral of misplaced ambition–without a
doubt, his most demanding, substantial role to date (no, a striptease to the tune
of “It’s Raining Men” did not count).

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

Release Date: November
21

Director: Ana
Lily Amirpour

Starring: Sheila
Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh

What’s the story? Director
Ana Lily Amirpour’s feature debut centers on the dark and dismal ghost town of
Bad City in Iran, in which residents are unknowingly being stalked by a
vampire.

My take: Given my
previous experience with the genre, never in a million years did I think I’d
ever go around actually recommending a
vampire romance. But favorable reviews for it across the board have me thinking
that this one may just be different; not least because of the director’s
apparent focus not so much on plot as on auras and aesthetics (if that sounds
too loopy for you, I don’t blame you—but give it a shot anyway). Throw in the
fact that it’s set in Iran, and is (very randomly) produced by Elijah Wood, and
there are just too many unlikely elements coming together here to not be
curious.

The Imitation Game

Release Date: November
28

Director: Morten
Tyldum

Starring: Benedict
Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley

What’s the story? Another
cinematic take on a biography, this time with a computer scientist rather than
a wrestler at its center. The Imitation
Game reflects on the life and achievements Alan Turing leading up to and
throughout his critical involvement in the decrypting of Nazi Germany’s Enigma
code during World War II, as well as the prosecutions that followed surrounding
his homosexuality.

My take: Two
words: Benedict Cumberbatch. I should think that’s explanation enough, but for
those of you who aren’t quite as captivated by the inimitable specimen that he
is, there are other reasons to look forward to The Imitation Game, whether its Keira Knightley marking her
promising return to her comfort zone of period films, or writer Graham Moore’s exalted,
four-years-in-the-making screenplay. The combination of British talent, a
wartime setting, and a hero who is an intellectual genius but a social underdog
tend to work with viewers (most recent case in point: The King’s Speech), an assumption further validated by the seven
Audience Choice awards its swept up during its festival circuit. There’s no
reason not to believe the hype.

Before I Disappear

Release Date: November
28

Director: Shawn
Christensen

Starring: Emmy
Rossum, Ron Perlman, Paul Wesley, Fatima Ptacek

What’s the story? Troubled
20-something Richie is minutes away from attempting suicide when his sister
calls, desperate for him to look after her pre-teen daughter that evening. The
babysitting job turns into a wild nighttime ride as Richie and his niece
traverse from one end of Manhattan to the other, creating unexpected bonds
through their unlikely shared experiences.

My take: The
feature-length version of Christensen’s Oscar-winning short, “Curfew,” Before I Disappear seems to be more of
what its 2012 precursor offered, and from the praise I’ve heard so far, that’s
not entirely a bad thing. Admittedly, suicide isn’t the most uplifting of
topics, but I’m keen to see how Christensen has developed Richie’s emotional
journey, especially with an eleven-year-old girl beside him. Apparently, in
between shots set in quintessential New York locations, we can expect glimpses
of magical realism and even a choreographed dance sequence (and yet, it’s not
Bollywood!). Sounds like something I can get on board with.

*Fully aware of how ancient that sentence makes me
sound, but I’ve long since made peace with many of my medieval traits.

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About Me

Born and raised in Japan, surrounded by a bounty of anime and manga, I remained loyal to South Asia with my penchant for classical dancing and Bollywood films. My love for cinema evolved into an academic passion, leading me to obtain a BA in Screen Arts and Cultures at the University of Michigan. Now a true, zealous New Yorker, I've dabbled with talent management, non-profit work, casting and film distribution before realizing that one of my true passions is simply to watch, dissect, and write about films. Welcome to Reel Simple.